Sham Elections in
Gilgit Baltistan
Dr Shabir Choudhry 06
June 2015
Sham Elections in
Gilgit Baltistan are held not to empower people of this unfortunate region but
to strengthen Pakistani hold there. Pakistani presence in Gilgit Baltistan is
illegal, unconstitutional and against the wishes of the people.
Areas of Gilgit
Baltistan are legally not part of Pakistan. According to legal and
constitutional position these areas are part of former Princely State of Jammu
and Kashmir; and like the rest of the areas of the Jammu and Kashmir State,
future of Gilgit Baltistan is also to be determined by people.
Therefore, Pakistani presences
and rule in Gilgit Baltistan is that of an imperialist power; and their
hitherto shameful record is evidence that they regard this region as their
colony, and they think they have a right to oppress, kill, loot and plunder resources
of this region to satisfy greed of Pakistani elite and military junta.
Pakistan has no right to
appoint any Governor there or meddle in affairs of this region. These ‘elections’
they are holding are not to benefit people of Gilgit Baltistan, but to fulfil
their imperialist agenda; and to provide sanctuaries to ‘good Taliban and ‘good
terrorists’ that they could be used in future to advance Islamabad’s agenda
abroad.
All major political parties
of Pakistan are treating this region as their hunting ground to get maximum
share of the booty. Local nationalist parties are marginalised and treated
unfairly. First they don’t have the financial muscle to compete with Pakistani
parties who have tons of ill-gotten money. Secondly they don’t have support of
Pakistani imposed government and administration.
Pakistan has a long history
of rigging elections in Pakistan and in their colonies of so called Azad
Kashmir and in Gilgit Baltistan. So, results of these sham elections are
obvious – Pakistani Parties will ‘win’ majority of the seats and nationalists
like Nawaz Naji and Baba Jan may win.
Nationalist leaders like Col
(R) Nadir Hassan Khan and others
arranged a peaceful rally, and demanded that Gilgit Baltistan should also be
made a party to China Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs across our region
before it enters Pakistan.
The police used force to disperse this peaceful march and arrested
people who were charged under sections that apply to people involved in
terrorist activities. According to the news army was also called in to ensure
that this peaceful small demonstration is properly controlled and charged with
appropriate sections of anti terrorist laws. The police arrested Col Nadir Khan,
Safdar Ali and many others and charged them under PPC 34, 123 A, 124A, 324, 6/7.
Some Pakistanis and their mouthpieces in Gilgit Baltistan and in Azad
Kashmir claim there is no opposition to the Pakistani rule in Gilgit Baltistan
and that people are happy with what Pakistan is doing there. I am producing
some reaction shown by the local people.
Former Chairman of All Parties National Alliance Wajahat Khan expressed
his reaction by saying that:
‘They have openly challenged our
history, heroes and identity of Gilgit Baltistan ....you cannot scare us by
giving death sentence to Baba Jan, Iftikhar Hussain and now threatening Col[R]
Nadir Hassan Khan ,Safdar Ali and others ...if you touched the skin of above
said leaders....then wait for our revenge which world history will
remember.....my final call to release all GB above brave and daring political leaders/activists
for your own survival in GB....otherwise we know how to kick out our oppressors...hope
you will realize soon mistake done.....we[GB] believe in respect....do respect
and get respect in return.....or if shown enmity ....Do not forget our history
and war warriors.
Another leader
from Gilgit Baltistan, Hamid Khan, Chairman of BNF expressed his view as
follows:
‘We condemn Pakistani state terrorism, which
has tortured Political leaders by using its Joint Investigation Team (Including
ISI, MI, Police and many others Paki agents) whose task is to torture
indigenous people to keep their occupation as long as possible.
We condemn the Police brutality in which a Pakistani national ASP who has been
deputed after Zardari so-called package had tortured the detainees in open
public. This is Pakistani occupation we want to free from their clutches
Another political activist Imdad
Rono Sama expressed his views like this:
‘Punjabistani police
beating innocent citizens of Gilgit Baltistan. We are not scared of army or
anyone else. We have right to peaceful protest. If you will not change your
behaviour we will kick out you from our homeland. Do not tease us more.... You people
hurt Pathans, Balochis, Sindhies and now you are trying to treat us like your slaves....
ask your elders about our history if we get united then your weapons will not
work in GB. Release all innocent people of GB specially the great son Col (R)
Nadir Hassan khan, son of our national hero Col Mirza Hassan Khan. We totally condemn
this act. We do not fear to defend our homeland. Do not underestimate us. We
were peaceful and we are peaceful, but we know how to kick out the outsiders
who want to make us fool. Long live Gilgit Baltistan.
Another political
activist from Gilgit Baltistan, Tamojin Khan,
said:
"By victimising Baba Jan, the
state has confirmed only what the people of GB have known for decades — that
anyone who speaks truth to power is singled out and accused of undermining the
sacred ‘ideology of Pakistan’. That the residents of GB continue to be deprived
of basic constitutional rights; that they are dismissed as appendages of the
‘Kashmir problem’; that huge ‘developmental’ interventions which dramatically
affect their lives (the Kashgar-Gwadar Road most recently) are initiated
without any meaningful consultation — these are facts of life that GB’s
long-suffering people are supposed to accept. Baba Jan has chosen not to keep
silent like so many others, and his reward is jail”.
Of course in the above
quotes, some of the words are strong and express true reaction of the people.
Pakistani leaders and rulers need to understand that Gilgit Baltistan and Azad
Kashmir are not part of Pakistan. Just because you lost East Pakistan due to
your follies it does not mean that you annex these areas that DONOT belong you.
I know strategically and
economically these areas are very important, not only to Pakistan but to other
countries as well. If you do not act wisely, you may find that in near future
not only you will lose these areas; but you will endanger future of Pakistan.
So it is best to abandon imperialist and jihadi policies and concentrate to
save what is legally part of Pakistan.
Writer is a political analyst, TV anchor and
author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs.
Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.
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